In the summer of 1981, when Gordon Milne was relieved
of responsibility for playing matters, the role of Coventry City
team manager was given, ironically, to a man seven years Milneís
senior.

Dave
Sexton had just been sacked by Manchester United, despite the Reds
winning their last seven games of the season. Sexton arrived with a
reputation as an astute thinker on the game and an outstanding coach
and in his two seasons at the club helped develop Cityís latest
crop of talented youngsters.

He was the son of Archie Sexton, a middleweight boxer of the
1930s and his career started at Newmarket Town and progressed via
Chelmsford City, Luton Town, West Ham, Leyton Orient and Brighton to
Crystal Palace where a knee injury ended his playing career. Sexton
was a good lower division player whose only honour was a Third
Division championship medal with Brighton in 1958.

Sexton took up coaching and earned a fine reputation at Chelsea,
Fulham and Arsenal before taking his first managerial job at Leyton
Orient in 1965. In 1967 he succeeded Tommy Docherty at Chelsea and
inherited a strong squad which included Osgood, Hollins, Cooke and
McCreadie. In 1970 they won the FA Cup, beating Leeds in a memorable
replayed final. The following year they beat Real Madrid to win the
European Cup Winners Cup.

Despite these successes after a couple of mediocre seasons Sexton
was sacked by Chelsea. Within weeks he was appointed manager at
Queens Park Rangers where he was unlucky not to win the League
Championship in 1976 with an outstanding team built around Gerry
Francis, Don Masson and Stan Bowles.

In 1977 he resigned from QPR and was on the verge of rejoining
Arsenal as coach when Manchester United persuaded him to replace
Docherty again. However Sexton lacked the charisma for the Old
Trafford job and despite an FA Cup final appearance in 1979 and
League runners-up the following year he failed to end the long wait
for the championship.

After his departure from Old Trafford Sexton joined Coventry in
the summer of 1981, replacing Gordon Milne. Ironically his first
game in charge for the Sky Blues was against United and he
tactically outthought his Old Trafford successor, Ron Atkinson, to
give City a 2-1 win.

During his time at Highfield Road Cityís style became more
cultured but it rarely set the world alight, although in Sextonís
defence he was never given the freedom to spend like other City
managers.

Sexton's first season in charge went well until Christmas then
City picked up just three points in twelve games including a 5-1
home defeat to Notts County. However, just as things were at their
blackest, and fans wondered where the next league win was going to
come from, City mounted a tremendous revival. A run of thirteen
games with only one defeat including a never-to-be-forgotten 5-5
draw at the Dell, and a 6-1 win over Sunderland took them well clear
of relegation.

In his second season with gates falling under 10,000 he had to
survive with a squad of 14-15 players. After Garry Thompson was sold
over his head in February 1983 the teamís form fell away
disastrously and 13 games without a win took them to the brink of
relegation. They survived by the skin of their teeth but Sexton was
sacrificed for the return of Bobby Gould much to the disgust of the
players.

Whilst at Coventry Sexton managed the England Under-21 side to
victory in the European Championship and after leaving City he was
appointed assistant manager of the England team under Bobby Robson.
He never managed at club level again although he has had numerous
coaching roles and is currently heading up Sven Goran Ericssonís
scouting network.